Older jet ski engine area...how to clean?

[thool]

We have an older Polaris jet ski SL 700 DLX and there is quite a bit of what looks like oily water inside the engine compartment. Everything in there is kind of slippery, and the bottom has oily gunk and water that the bilge pump cannot seem to get rid of.

I'd like to somehow wash the engine compartment out, but don't want to damage any of the electrical. I was thinking something along the lines of simple green and blasting with a garden hose hooked up to hot water, letting the bilge pump do its job, and then following up with a wet/dry vac. Probably let it dry a couple nights with a fan blowing in there.

Not sure if any of this is relevant: winter we keep it winterized and covered on a trailer under a porch roof, summer it lives on a jet ski hoist with a breathable cover.

Thanks.

 

[Rogue1987]

I've always had my little brother hose them out and have it drain out of the plugs on the back and then wipe it down with wd-40 and towels to get rid of anything left.

Or burn it. Because jetskis are the boat of the devil.

Sent from my SM-G900V using Tapatalk

 

[bpankratz]

Id start off by getting some bilge absorbent pads, they absorb oil and fuel but not water, there are also some bilge cleaners available. Such as:
http://www.starbrite.com/item/bilge-cleaner?category_id=564

 

[bpankratz]

Bilge Absorber:
http://www.amazon.com/Star-Brite-Absorber-2-Quart-capacity/dp/B01609RXW2

 

[d.mcfarland]

Detailer's Pro engine cleaner. Don't use high pressure water.

 

[thool]

I like the idea of the pads, but the inside bottom is anything but flat. There are lots of ribs going both lft/right and up/down which creates lots of small rectangular pits that never drain. I'll probably try the bilge cleaner with a flexible brush, hot water, tilt back and drain.

 

[theoldwizard1]

Plug the drain hole(s). Add as much water as you feel is safe. Dump a couple of cups of concentrated Simple Green in and slosh i around. after sitting for a few hours (overnight is better), get a toilet bowl brush and go at it.

When you open the drain, you had better have a couple of 5 gallon buckets handy !

Rinse with a garden hose. And bad remaining spot hit with 50/50 Simple Green. Let sit for a while, brush and rinse.

I know guys with big boats who add a couple of gallons of water, a whole gallon of Simple Green and then go for a ride before pulling their boat out for winter.

 

[404]

Ignore it. Spend the time saved drinking.

 

[tjmonsen5]

Pull the engine out, they are easy. Few hose clamps on the exhaust, fuel hoses and throttle cable then disconnect the electricals. Should take you less than an hour. Then you can give it a nice sprig cleaning with a pressure washer.

 

[neuralsnafu]

Ignore it. Spend the time saved drinking.

This idea gets my vote... I DETEST cleaning engines...

 

[404]

This idea gets my vote... I DETEST cleaning engines...

Not to mention the oil protects from rusting.

 

[Ohmthis]

I have a couple polaris skis myself, a 95 SL and a 96 SLX. I know what you mean by the ribbed bottom. While it makes the hull stronger, they catch everything that could be flushed out. I just use an old shammy or absorbent rag and soak/ring the fluid. Then I spray straight purple power in it and let it set for awhile. Then with the plug out I tilt it up and run hose water from the front to rinse everything out. On a side note that oil is coming from somewhere, I'd check all of the lines for cracks or loose fittings.

 

[thool]

I have a couple polaris skis myself, a 95 SL and a 96 SLX. I know what you mean by the ribbed bottom. While it makes the hull stronger, they catch everything that could be flushed out. I just use an old shammy or absorbent rag and soak/ring the fluid. Then I spray straight purple power in it and let it set for awhile. Then with the plug out I tilt it up and run hose water from the front to rinse everything out. On a side note that oil is coming from somewhere, I'd check all of the lines for cracks or loose fittings.

I was thinking of that last part in particular. Once all the oil is gone, I can more easily pinpoint the area the oil is coming from. HF has a bunch of cheap rags that would be good for soaking up the initial stuff, and then I like the idea of using purple power (or the bilge cleaner mentioned above) to remove the residual.

The concern I have it with all the water and oil sitting in a confined space for years, and possibly messing with the electrical. The water "never" goes away with a layer of oil sitting on top of it.

 

[Ohmthis]

If you always have water in the bilge after a ride, you might have a leak. If you ride like a bat out of hell and am tumping the ski, I can see water. If you cruise it around, hit some speed runs, jump some wakes, and generally play around, there shouldn't be hardly anything in the bilge. Check the seals to the drive shaft, cooling water hoses, exhaust gaskets, and seals around seats and the front stowage.